C&D Canal - Delaware City - Late Cretaceous Mt. Laurel Formation

[Masonk]

Took a trip to the dredge piles at the C&D Canal earlier this week. Spent about 45 minutes there, sweating in the sun! Worth going back for another, longer visit.

I understand they are now dredging in different areas, covering over the fossiliferous piles. There still appears to be quite a few fossils, however I'm sure as the project continues access will lessen.

 

I went to the first pull off, east side of Reedy Point Bridge on the northern side of the canal. This was my second visit here (last time was a short 15min visit to scope it out). I believe there are 3 other sites with dredge piles, which I've yet to check out.

 

I had a shovel and sifter, but mostly did some surface hunting. Belemnites, Pycnodonte and Exogyra were abundant. Highlight was a complete Brachiopod (Terebratulina Cooperi).

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Some photos of the site, and a few fossils I found sitting on the surface.

 

Sunscreen and water is a must for a couple hour excursion. 

 

 

 

Pycnodonte mutabilis

 

Belemnite 

 

Beleminite and Lima Reticulata (?)

Edited August 3 by Masonk

[Masonk]

Cleaned up

 

Shell fragment center right, I believe is Neithea quinquecostata

 

Terebratulina Cooperi - 12.5mm back to front

Edited August 3 by Masonk

[Fossildude19]

That last brachiopod is stunning!

Thanks for the report.   

[FossilDAWG]

Is it for certain that the new dredging material is from unproductive layers?  I would hope that fresh material would bring fresh fossils, even if not from the Mt. Laurel.  Other dredgings in the past along the canal brought up other formations, some with a higher abundance of crab fossils for example.

 

When I collected there I got a lot of broken belemnites and Exogyra, like the samples you show.  I also got a very similar brachiopod (yours is lovely BTW).  Most exciting to me (besides the brachiopod) were a diversity of phosphatic molds of bivalves, gastropods, and even a couple of Baculites, plus 1/2 of a Phymostoma sea urchin.  I have wanted to go back with a sifter to get more of those molds, they are small but lots of different species.

 

Don

[Masonk]

31 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

That last brachiopod is stunning!

Thanks for the report.   

 

Thanks. It really made the trip!

[Masonk]

1 minute ago, FossilDAWG said:

Is it for certain that the new dredging material is from unproductive layers?  I would hope that fresh material would bring fresh fossils, even if not from the Mt. Laurel.  Other dredgings in the past along the canal brought up other formations, some with a higher abundance of crab fossils for example.

 

When I collected there I got a lot of broken belemnites and Exogyra, like the samples you show.  I also got a very similar brachiopod (yours is lovely BTW).  Most exciting to me (besides the brachiopod) were a diversity of phosphatic molds of bivalves, gastropods, and even a couple of Baculites, plus 1/2 of a Phymostoma sea urchin.  I have wanted to go back with a sifter to get more of those molds, they are small but lots of different species.

 

Don

 

I was hoping to find some gastropods and other bivalve species. After looking at other reports on TFF, I was amazed by the diversity. I think with several hours focused on sifting, you could turn up different species. 

 

Everywhere I've read, says the new areas being dredged aren't fossiliferous. I honestly haven't dug into it much (no pun intended). It would certainly be amazing if there areas they are dredging turn up fossils from other formations. 

 

 

[traveltip1]

Looks like a good days hunt

[Masonk]

On 8/4/2023 at 3:24 PM, traveltip1 said:

Looks like a good days hunt

 

Thanks! Despite the heat, it was. That Brachiopod honestly made the trip for me.